INDIANA – Youth First, Inc. is celebrating a $20,000 grant award from Ascension St. Vincent Evansville for Youth First mental health services and prevention programs in partner schools throughout the Catholic Diocese of Evansville.
The check presentation was hosted at Mater Dei High School to represent the 27 Youth First partner schools in the Catholic Diocese of Evansville. Youth First’s impactful work would not be possible without tremendous support from community partners like Ascension St. Vincent Evansville.
Ascension’s mission of delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to those most vulnerable, aligns with Youth First’s mission of strengthening youth and families by providing evidence-based programs that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and maximize student success.
Alex Chang, Ascension President, South Region, says, “Ascension St. Vincent’s collaboration with Youth First strengthens the safety net around students in the Evansville Catholic Diocese. By supporting Youth First’s mental health services within the parochial schools, this partnership ensures that young people have the guidance, resources, and encouragement they need to thrive—academically, emotionally, and spiritually.”
The grant to Youth First will allow for continued mental health support for students in the partner Catholic Diocese of Evansville schools. Across its service footprint, Youth First partners with 130 schools in 14 Indiana counties to embed substance misuse prevention programs and to place over 100 skilled mental health professionals (primarily master’s-level social workers) in school buildings, where they provide caring mental health support for students and prevention coaching for parents and teachers. Youth First Mental Health Professionals build loving relationships, foster readiness for positive change, and boost resiliency, along with other valuable life skills.
Youth First’s positive work and strategies are driving growth, with more schools seeking their valuable expertise to address the growing need for mental health support for students. As Mater Dei High School Principal Darin Knight says, “For the past 25 years, Mater Dei has been truly blessed by the support Youth First has provided our students. Valorie Dassel, LCSW, LCAC, has faithfully served as our Youth First Mental Health Professional, positively impacting hundreds—if not thousands—of students through her expertise and compassion. From mental health challenges to family struggles and substance abuse, she helps our students navigate real-world issues and develop the values and resilience they need for adulthood. We are deeply grateful to community partners like Ascension for recognizing the importance of these programs in our Catholic schools and continuing to support Youth First.”
